Saturday 23rd January 2016

Emma just about doubled her wardrobe today. Her teacher from last year dropped by with another couple of garbage bags of her daughter’s old clothes and even once we took out what didn’t fit and Emma didn’t want I still have enough to fill a couple of loads of laundry to do to get it all clean and into her closet. She’s a lucky girl – who doesn’t love piles of free clothes?

Although there was also a pair of black converse sneakers in the bags (along with several solo shoes, ha ha ha) and despite Emma’s efforts they were too small for her so Jericho got to have those.

We had no appointments or activities scheduled for today, although we did have to go to the office so that Troy could certify a copy of my driver’s license to go to VIT for my teacher registration. I sent them certified copies of my birth certificate and passport last week (when I was suspended) but since neither of them have my address on it they needed the license or something similar as well. Ack! I can’t believe that I was so stupid as to let this issue go way back when I did my police check!

Yesterday’s appointment was the optometrist for Emma and I. Emma’s eyes are still basically the same as they were this time last year, which put her on the borderline of needing glasses due to long-sightedness. They said it’s better not to have glasses if you don’t absolutely need them though, so we’re just leaving it for now and will retest her in another year. I think Emma was slightly disappointed actually, she spent ages trying on the glasses and looked so cute in them that she wouldn’t have minded at all having a new accessory.

My prescription is still the same, but I needed new glasses because of my two pairs one is so scratched up that I can’t really wear them anymore and the other ones have a bent screw holding the arm on. So I had to endure trying on all the glasses in the store and not being able to see more than a blur in any of them, asking Troy and Emma and eventually the sales assistant what looked nice and I should get. I really wasn’t feeling it, and I don’t suppose all the grimaces and horrible faces I was making really helped with the issue either. Between the four of us we chose two pairs in the end, but quite frankly I can’t remember what they were and I have no idea what I looked like in them anyway. I guess I’m in for a surprise when I pick them up in a week!

The kids spent a lot of time playing the Wii today, and Nicholai and Jericho spent a lot of time screaming at each other. The two of them are a complete disaster together – it has never been as bad as it is these holidays. I guess they are just at some particular point of development that leads them to clash constantly, but it’s incredibly frustrating and quite draining.

I spent a bit of time repotting succulents and cacti. Hopefully the little bits I’ve broken off will grow and I’ll be able to plant them out in the front yard.

I’ve got over my sulking about not getting a new Jeep now and have moved on to looking up the new Kia Carnival vans available and what they have with them. They’ve changed quite a bit in the ten years since we bought ours and have some nifty features now. It will certainly be nice to have one and not worry that it’s going to break down every time I drive somewhere. And besides, if I don’t get a Jeep now I can wait until the kids are bigger and I can get the two door Wrangler like I really wanted.